EMDR Therapy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn & Across New York
WHAT IS EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess unresolved, adverse experiences, losing the emotional intensity they hold. EMDR therapy follows an 8-phase approach designed to help the brain process and heal from difficult experiences.
The standard EMDR protocol consists of a structured set of procedures grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model (Shapiro 1995, 2001, 2007), to explain the rapid shift toward positive resolution observed during EMDR memory reprocessing.
While EMDR is well known for treating trauma and PTSD, it is also used to support a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, panic, depression, addictions, physical symptoms related to stress, eating concerns, and sexual health issues. EMDR is commonly used for:
anxiety, phobias, and panic attacks
relationship patterns
trust problems
self-doubt and self-esteem
past experiences that continue to feel unresolved
HOW EMDR WORKS
AIP posits that we all have an inherent system that is physiologically geared to process information toward a state of mental health. This system can be disrupted by events that are too overwhelming to integrate, or by high levels of stress. When a distressing experience overwhelms the brain’s information processing capacity, it cannot be fully resolved and is instead stored in a form that can produce problems for us later on, such as anxiety, phobias, low self-esteem, and mistrust, etc. These memories, linked to traumatic and adverse events, generate symptoms and become the primary focus of treatment.
WHAT DOES AN EMDR SESSION LOOK LIKE
During parts of the process, gentle, back-and-forth stimulation (such as eye movements) is used in short sets, with brief check-ins to make sure things are progressing comfortably. This helps the brain reprocess the memory so it feels less distressing and becomes more fully integrated, often leading to shifts in thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions. Treatment typically includes:
- identifying key experiences and patterns, connecting the past to the present
- building internal resources
- processing adverse memories using bilateral stimulation
HOW THIS WORK IS DIFFERENT
This is not surface-level or purely coping-focused therapy. EMDR allows us to work directly with experiences that are causing problems and to begin to change more naturally- emotionally, relationally, and in the nervous system.
WHY EMDR
Insight can explain a pattern. But many patterns persist because they are held at a deeper, emotional level. EMDR therapy works to help patterns shift at their root. EMDR can be a good fit if you:
know what you “should” do, but react differently in the moment
feel stuck despite insight or previous therapy
notice recurring emotional or relational patterns
experience change as inconsistent or short-lived
PACE OF TREATMENT
EMDR is an effective and often efficient therapy, but it is not a quick fix. The pace depends on your history, goals, and readiness. The work is designed to be both focused and sustainable.
Schedule a consultation to see if EMDR therapy in Brooklyn feels like the right fit.